WARNING: The content in the video at the top of this story may be disturbing to some viewers.
Newly obtained security footage of the deadly van rampage in Toronto shows several pedestrians scrambling to get out of the path of the speeding vehicle.
The video, captured on cameras outside a Yonge Street karaoke bar, shows the white Ryder rental van charging down the sidewalk shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
In the first of two short clips, the van speeds past businesses and parked vehicles on the sidewalk. The second clip captures the reaction of three pedestrians who spot the van racing toward them and rush to get out of its way.
The 15-second clip has been edited and does not show the van come in contact with anything.
“We had roofers checking out the roof (at the time) and one of the guys, he was the first to notice the carnage that happened near us. He was trembling, he was shaking. He could barely stand,” Twister Karaoke owner JT Lim told CP24.
Just down the street, another security camera caught more of the van’s path. The video shows several seconds of two pedestrians walking on the sidewalk before they realize the oncoming danger. The pedestrians then hurry onto an adjacent grassy area and turn around just in time to watch the van zoom by.
Betty Forsyth, Renuka Amarasingha, Munir Abed Alnajjar, Anne Marie D’Amico, Chul Min ‘Eddie’ Kang, Dorothy Sewell and, more recently, Sohe Chung, have been identified by friends and family as seven of the 10 people killed that afternoon. Fourteen others were injured in the attack, including Ryerson chemistry professor Amir Kiumarsi.
Police have not publicly confirmed the names or ages of the victims.
Twenty-five-year-old Alek Minassian was charged Tuesday with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder, though investigators have suggested that they may hand him another attempted murder charge at some point.
The motive for the carnage is not yet known but police have said they are looking into a “cryptic” message posted on Minassian’s Facebook page the same day.
The post, now deleted by Facebook, touts an “Incel Rebellion” and references a killing in California back in 2014.
“Incel” refers to someone who is involuntarily celibate, or unable to find a sexual partner. The term is linked to a largely misogynistic subculture of frustrated young men who communicate in online forums.
Toronto police continue to investigate the one-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street, near Finch Avenue, where the attack took place. They say the investigation is ongoing and urge witnesses to come forward with any information.
Police have also set up two hotlines related to the van attack. One is intended for relatives and friends of the victims, 416-808-8085; and the other is for any tips on the investigation, 416-808-8750.
Grieving continues at Willowdale memorials
Meanwhile, mourners continue to flock to a growing memorial to pay their respects to the victims. Flowers, candles, cards and posters covered in handwritten messages of support and condolence line the sidewalk in Olive Square, just steps away from where 10 lives were lost.
“It’s a sad thing, a very sad thing,” one visitor told CP24 at the memorial this morning. “We are all one, you know? When I mourn, you mourn. When I hurt, you hurt.”
St. John Ambulance brought a group of its therapy dogs to nearby Mel Lastman Square this afternoon to offer support to the Willowdale community. Volunteer Jason Colterman said they wanted to give back to the city after Monday’s heartbreak. The dogs will be in the square daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“What a better way to lift people’s spirits than to bring the dogs out in the square where we can meet more people than just going into one facility,” he said. “(We can) interact with them and try to lift them up at the end of the week.”
Marjan Iravani stopped by the square and was brought to tears by the presence of the dogs.
“I appreciate their work because I feel so bad after the incident. It gets worse day by day and I need some help to review my feelings,” she said. “I think they do an amazing job.”
Many people also found comfort at a interfaith prayer service on Thursday night, held at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church.
More than 700 of congregants from 10 different churches in the Willowdale neighbourhood came together to honour and pray for the victims of the attack.
“We can sense the pain in the community,” Father Patrick O’Dea told CTV News Toronto. “Talking to parishioners of mine who were on the streets, some saw some of the bodies, some had neighbours who were killed.”
Close friends of victim Betty Forsyth came together at the church and spoke fondly about the 94-year-old, describing her as “fiercely independent” and “full of life.”
“She was just a real delight, a colour character, always talking and just with this lovely British accent,” friend Barbara Puckering said. “She thought the world was so funny and was always enjoying life.”
“I think we can say she had a very successful life,” friend Maureen Williams said. “She had lots of friends.”
Friends of victim Anne Marie D’Amico were also at the church on Thursday night.
“We’re sending messages of love and courage and we just want to see that peace for you and your family,” one woman said.
The church recreated part of the now expansive makeshift memorial outside Olive Square for the service. The words #TorontoStrong, which have united the city, was clearly visible at the front of the room.
A fund with the same name, set up by the city only yesterday, had raised more than $900,000 as of Thursday evening.
The city will host a vigil on Sunday, at 7 p.m., at Mel Lastman Square.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said he’s proud of the generosity coming from the city and beyond.
“We’re hopeful that the total will go much, much higher so that we can help all that need help in the aftermath of Monday’s events,” he told councillors before a meeting.
